Stokes levels Ashes series
AN extraordinary 135 not out from Ben Stokes earned England an exciting one-wicket victory in the third Ashes Test yesterday to level the series against Australia at 1-1, with the home side chasing down a record target of 359 in dramatic fashion.
Starting the day looking to prevent Australia from retaining the Ashes, England got to 286/9, still 73 runs short of their target. The tourists needed only the win to ensure a series defeat was impossible and the urn would stay in their possession.
With one wicket left, England one-day World Cup hero Stokes knew everything depended on him and he smashed a remarkable eight sixes to all corners of the ground to get England within touching distance of their highest-ever second-innings total to win a Test. Nathan Lyon missed an easy runout chance to dismiss England number 10 batsman Jack Leach and Stokes survived loud lbw shouts, with Australia unable to review, before, fittingly, Stokes hit the winning boundary to spark euphoria at Headingley.
“It probably matches the World Cup, to be honest. Unbelievable, it’s one I’ll never forget,” Stokes, who was named man of the match said.
“I never gave up. When Jack Leach came in it was pretty clear what I had to do. I told him five and one, I’d take five balls and give him one.
“Leachy is our super-nightwatchman so I backed him, knowing what we had to do. I couldn’t watch at the end. I couldn’t watch the balls going down.”
A big moment came when Stokes, on 116, hauled one out towards the boundary but did not get enough on it. Marcus Harris, on the dive, got two hands to it but put down the catch.
Leach’s job was just to stay there, and he played his part, blocking ball after ball, contributing one run to the 76-run final partnership. Stokes, in that time, plundered a mesmerising seven sixes in that final partnership, smashing a four through the covers to win the most dramatic of matches.
“Ben Stokes is a freak, he’s incredible. After Stokes got to 60, 70 he looked like he wasn’t going to get out. To win a game on your own from there is just amazing. He does have recent experience of doing it. Just incredible to watch unfold,” England captain Joe Root said.